Over the past several months you have touched on many fields that simulation would benefit such as healthcare and disaster management. I would like now to recall something you said in your “Simulation Expertise through Tours” blog from September, “Don’t limit yourself to just your area of interest/expertise. Often you can learn even more from tours outside your comfort zone.” I think for many professionals in the simulation industry, applying simulation to the field of agriculture might be out of your expertise or comfort zone, but don’t let this stop you.

Since I work for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) I see first hand how beneficial simulation could be to our American farmers. Nowadays farmers must be laborers and savvy business men in order to survive in our current economy. It isn’t just milking old Bessie in the barn anymore; they must consider how each area on the farm affects the bottom line, just like any business. Farmers must look at the efficiency of their livestock and harvesting processes and the possibility of diversification in order to stay in business, and simulation could help in each of these areas.

Any farm that has livestock has 3 main questions they must ask themselves; How do I efficiently get livestock onto my farm? How do I efficiently get food to my livestock? And how do I efficiently use (or dispose of) the waste? If they are a dairy they must also consider the most efficient method to milk the cows. For instance, a poultry facility will house several thousands chickens a year for a few months each. During each cycle the chicks are trucked in, food is trucked in (or harvested from the fields), chickens are provided a specified amount of food and space, then they are trucked out (full grown), and wastes are trucked out so the nutrients can be utilized elsewhere. This process could benefit from simulation to create the most efficient scenario.

It is very common now for farmers to turn to non-traditional methods of bringing income onto the farm. One of these methods is to direct market their goods to the public through farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSA), or opening stores on-property. They must ask themselves; How do I efficiently transport my products to the farmers market? How do I efficiently package and deliver my products to my customers? Or how do I handle parking and lines in my store? Simulation in each of these processes would allow the farmer to make an informed decision on the best management of his business.

So you can see that simulation can have a place in even the most unlikely fields (literally). American farms are a business and thus need to consider the efficiency of processes they undertake in order to meet the bottom line, and simulation can help. So don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and your area of expertise.